After a period of personal struggles, Shala Cox discovered the transformative power of fitness to improve both her physical and mental health. A Bay Area native, she wanted to empower her community to build healthy lifestyles. Shala launched YuBalance with her husband Rory in 2014. The gym offers personal training and small group classes using…
Joel McGill finds himself having some unusual conversations in the airport security line these days. He usually opens with: “Hey, where do you guys get your rubber gloves from?” McWoods Distribution, the company he co-manages with his mentor and father figure, provides a range of everyday products for institutions. “We sell consumables from the mundane…
Courtney Smith’s passion for fusing together art, basketball, and fashion came through at an early age. He started his first sports apparel company when he was just 24 years old. But navigating contracts and licensing for the first time was extremely challenging, and he ended up selling the business. That experience left him feeling burned,…
Ade Dream is a labor of love for husband-and-wife team Pierre and Jenn Davis. They started the business in 2014, a year after their first child was born. Pierre’s sister made some baby accessories for the new parents using traditional African fabric from Pierre’s home country, The Gambia. Jenn constantly received compliments and requests for…
Nicole Middleton is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with her firm, Strategy Squad, which she co-manages with her father, a Certified Public Accountant. The firm focuses on financial planning and investment management, especially for women and people of color. As fiduciary advisors, Strategy Squad is committed to working on behalf of their clients’ best interests, even…
Before they started their business, Christopher McMichael and Maurion Gaines came together over their shared passion for music. In 2012, Chris was working security and kept hitting ceilings as he tried to advance in his career, so he decided to pursue his clothing line full time. “My clothing line had already had some success. I…
In 2004 Chef Ron’s Pastries started like many business: doing small orders here and there for family and friends. In 2015 brother and sister Ron and Rhonda Persons officially launched Chef Ron’s Pastries when an opportunity to work with the Golden State Warriors came to them. Since then, the business has been steadily growing, all…
“The mentorship I’m receiving in the Entrepreneur in Residence program is giving me the tools and showing me the realities of how to attain more success and balance in my business,” reflects Chamaine.
“Taking advantage of resources is what has helped my business survive,” reflects Fernay. “Workshops, classes, and meetings are easy to overlook, but these resources (Enterprising Women, La Cocina, and now Main Street Launch) are what have helped my business grow.”
Civil Labs is a social enterprise with a mission to empower young people to make change in their community, and to give them the resources to do so. The Oakland-based business is developing a food community center that provides space for after-school youth programming and commercial kitchens for area food entrepreneurs.
